Koh Samui Ferry Guide: Piers, Donsak, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao

Koh Samui has more than one pier and more than one kind of boat, and our Koh Samui ferry hub lists the crossings to Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and the mainland at Donsak. This guide is for the step before you book: working out which crossing you actually need, which pier it uses, and what each operator says about timing, changes and luggage. Raja Ferry's own company profile says it runs ferries for passengers and cars between Donsak, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Everything below was read on 30 October 2026, on operators' own sites: Raja Ferry Port PLC, Lomprayah and Seatran Discovery. Each is an operator speaking about its own services, not a port or tourism authority. We could not open the Tourism Authority of Thailand site (it refused automated access), the Marine Department site (it did not load) or an official airport page, so nothing here comes from the port, tourism or airport authorities.

1. Three crossings, three kinds of boat

Raja Ferry's time table states its sailing times as about 1 hour 30 minutes from Donsak to Koh Samui (Lipa Noi), about 2 hours 30 minutes from Donsak to Koh Phangan, and about 1 hour 30 minutes between Koh Samui (Lipa Noi) and Koh Phangan. Raja describes itself as a ferry service for passengers and cars.

Seatran's about page describes a separate ferry company, Seatran Ferry, that docks at Nathon Pier on Koh Samui and sails to its own pier at Donsak, and a second company, Seatran Discovery, built around a yacht service. Seatran Discovery's own blog post dated 28 October 2026 describes a high-speed ferry from Bangrak Pier on Koh Samui to Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan. Lomprayah's about page names Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan as its destinations, its home page lists Koh Samui (Pralan Pier), and its pages give its address as Maenam, Koh Samui. Seatran Discovery's check-in list also names a Koh Tao Mae Haad pier. We found no Koh Tao journey time in text we could read, so we give none.

So "the Koh Samui ferry" can mean a car-and-passenger ferry to the mainland from Lipa Noi or Nathon, or a faster passenger boat from Bangrak, Pralan or Nathon. Read the pier name on your ticket, not the operator's brand.

2. Getting to the pier

Seatran Discovery's blog says Bangrak Pier is about a 10-minute drive from Samui International Airport (USM) and is the nearest of its piers, and that it advises arriving at Bangrak 30 to 45 minutes before departure. That is the operator's own description, not an official measurement.

On the mainland side, Raja's FAQ says it has ticket counters at Surat Thani Airport and Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport where passengers can buy a ticket that includes the transfer, and that train tickets bought at Bangkok railway stations can include a Raja Ferry ticket and a shuttle from Surat Thani station; it gives its call centre for details. We found no source we could open for a road or shuttle link from a cruise berth to any Samui pier, so we give none; ask your cruise line and the boat operator.

3. Timetables as the operators state them

Raja's timetable page says the Donsak to Koh Samui timetable applies from 23 October 2026 (23 October 2569 in the Thai calendar, as the Thai page writes it). It lists a departure every hour from 04:00 to 19:00 from each side, with a 1 hour 30 minute crossing, so the last boat from Donsak is listed as arriving at 20:30. Raja adds that it provides an extra ferry in rush hours (05:00 to 06:00 and 12:00 to 16:00) if the available places are full.

Lomprayah's time table page links a 2026 timetable PDF. We opened it, but the text we could extract was scrambled across columns and showed no validity dates, so we quote no Lomprayah times. Use Lomprayah's own booking search for your date.

4. Tickets, changes and arriving on time

Raja says tickets can be booked through its website or app, through agents, or at the ticket boxes of its three piers: Donsak, Lipa Noi and Thong Sala.

Lomprayah's terms (last updated 14 May 2026, as the page states) say passengers must arrive at the Lomprayah office at least 60 minutes before departure to confirm the trip. They say a change must be notified at least 2 days before travel, that the new date must fall within 90 days, and that changes can be made twice: the first without a processing fee and the second with a charge of 30 percent of the ticket price per person. They say the ticket is non-refundable, that a no-show pays the normal fare, and that timetables and routes may change without prior notice because of weather.

The same terms say that for passengers with an interchanging flight or train, Lomprayah reserves the right not to be responsible or to reimburse any expense if the passenger misses it. That is the operator's own statement, and it matters for anyone planning a boat around a flight or a ship.

5. Accessibility, luggage and comfort

Lomprayah's terms say large luggage up to 20 kilograms is carried, with an additional charge above that, and that small items such as handbags, shoulder bags and small suitcases are carried at no extra cost. Seatran Discovery's fleet page lists, for its Discovery 1 and Discovery 2 vessels, an air-conditioned cabin, an outdoor seating zone on the second floor, a snack counter and toilets. Raja's services page says its ferries carry emergency equipment such as life jackets and life boats.

None of the operator pages we read describes ramps, steps, boarding assistance or seating for passengers who walk slowly. We therefore make no claim about accessibility, and suggest you ask each operator in writing:

• How do passengers board at my pier, and are there steps or a ramp between the ticket box and the boat?
• Can crew help with luggage and with passengers who need time?
• On my vessel, which seats are indoors, and where are the toilets in relation to those seats?
• If a crossing is cancelled, what are my options on the same day?

6. Plan and cautions

Every operator above reserves the right to change sailings, and Lomprayah ties changes to weather in its terms. For official weather and sea information, the Thai Meteorological Department's English site has sections titled Shipping Forecast, Ocean Wave Forecast and Wave Risk, with a call centre number (1182), as its menu showed on 30 October 2026. We did not read or quote a sea forecast, so check it yourself on the day.

A boat ticket and a cruise or flight ticket are separate contracts. Our guide on why separate tickets need a buffer and the all-aboard worksheet show how to work backwards from the ship's departure. For the flight leg, see our flights index.